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Sounkamba Sylla, a French sprinter in the Olympics, expressed on social media a few days before the start of the 2024 Olympic Games that she would not be able to join the opening ceremony due to her hijab.
“You have been chosen for the Olympics held in your own country, but you are not allowed to participate in the opening ceremony because you wear a headscarf,” Sylla wrote on her private Instagram, as reported by The Associated Press.
The backlash was the most recent development in an ongoing dispute over France’s regulation prohibiting female Muslim athletes from wearing the hijab, or headscarves, during the Olympics. The athletes, who represent France, are considered public employees and must follow the principles of secularism, in accordance with the country’s guidelines.
French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra later stated that Sylla would be permitted to participate in the opening ceremony and the Games as long as she covered her hair in a non-religious manner.
Prohibitions on hijab in French sports
Restrictions on wearing hijab in French sports extend to all levels, including amateur and youth levels, even beyond the Olympics, as outlined by Amnesty International.
While there is no national law or policy explicitly banning hijabs in sports, individual sports federations have their own rules prohibiting the headscarf. Team sports such as football (soccer), basketball, and volleyball are among those that have banned them, according to Anna Blus, a researcher on women’s rights and gender justice at Amnesty International, who spoke to ABC News.
A ban on wearing the hijab in football was introduced in 2006. The inception of basketball took place in 2022, followed by volleyball in 2023.
“We have observed over the years — [for] approximately 20 years — actions are consistently being implemented to restrict the rights of Muslim women,” Blus commented on France.
“There has undeniably been a rise in such measures in various aspects of life over the last 20 years,” Blus noted.
In 2023, France’s top administrative court ruled in favor of the French Football Federation, upholding its hijab prohibition in the sport.
“The rationale provided was highly problematic, as it stated that bans like the one in the Football Federation were justified to prevent conflicts or confrontations,” Blus explained.
“It implies that wearing a hijab could lead to clashes or confrontations, and to safeguard the athlete, she can and should be prohibited from wearing it. Olympians to watch in Paris
